Have you been trying to add music to your Instagram Stories but keep getting annoying error messages? Don‘t worry my friend, you‘re not alone. Over 500 million people use Instagram every single day and music stickers have become one of the most popular ways to amp up engagement on Stories.
But what if Instagram Music stops working even after you‘ve updated the app? The "Music sticker unavailable" error can be really frustrating when you‘re trying to quickly post content.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly why Instagram Music may not be working for you, and the steps you need to take to fix it fast. Let‘s dive in!
Contents
Why Is Instagram Music Not Working for Me?
Before we get to the solutions, it helps to understand the possible reasons why Instagram Music may not be loading for you:
It‘s Restricted in Your Region
The biggest cause is geographic restrictions. As of now, Instagram has limited the Music sticker feature to only 8 countries:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Germany
According to Instagram officials, the licensing agreements for songs are different across regions which affects music availability. If you reside outside these approved locations, Instagram simply won‘t load the music sticker for you.
Your Account Type Is Not Supported
As per Instagram‘s policies, business, creator and professional accounts are not allowed to use copyrighted music in their Stories. This is to prevent monetization of label‘s content without permission.
Only personal profiles can access the full music library for stickers. So if you‘ve been trying this on a business account, it won‘t work.
Technical Glitches or Outages
Like any other social platform, Instagram‘s servers also run into technical snags occasionally that cause temporary outages. When this happens, certain features like Music stickers may fail to load across the network.
App Version Is Outdated
Make sure you are running the latest version of the Instagram app on your device. If the app is outdated, some features like Music may stop functioning or disappear for you. Always keep auto-update enabled.
Poor Internet Connection
With an unstable mobile data or WiFi connection, the Music sticker fails to load and throws an error for you. A strong internet connection with good bandwidth is required for Instagram Music to work smoothly.
How to Fix Instagram Music Not Available in Your Region
Now that we know the possible reasons behind this, let‘s get into the meaty stuff – how do you actually fix Instagram Music not working? Try these troubleshooting solutions one by one:
Use a VPN to Unblock Restrictions
The easiest and most reliable way around regional limitations is to use a VPN service. A VPN allows you to change your virtual location so you can use Instagram Music, even if you aren‘t physically present in an approved country.
Here‘s how to unblock music stickers with a VPN:
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Sign up for a good VPN service like NordVPN or ExpressVPN. Download the app on your device.
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Launch the VPN app and connect to a server located in the USA, UK or any eligible country.
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Once connected, open the Instagram app and try adding a music sticker to your Story. It should now work smoothly!
According to cybersecurity experts, a VPN lets you bypass geographic blocks by hiding your true location. Your internet traffic is routed through the VPN server so Instagram thinks you‘re accessing it from the United States or Britain, even if you‘re actually in India, Brazil or anywhere else. Pretty neat trick!
Update Instagram to the Latest Version
Before trying anything else, check that you have the newest version of Instagram installed on your phone or tablet:
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On iPhone: Go to the App Store > Tap your profile icon > Check for update next to Instagram > Install if available.
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On Android: Open Google Play Store > Tap Menu > My Apps & Games > Check Instagram for updates > Update to latest version.
Having the latest version ensures you have all the newest features and bug fixes needed for Music stickers to work properly in Stories. Also turn on auto-update so you never have to manually do this.
Switch Temporarily to a Personal Account
As mentioned before, Instagram doesn‘t allow professional, creator and business accounts to use copyrighted music stickers due to legal policies. But here‘s a workaround:
- Open your Instagram profile
- Tap the Menu (hamburger icon)
- Go to Settings
- Tap "Switch to Personal Account"
- Try adding a music sticker to your story now. It should be enabled!
Once you‘re done, you can easily switch back to your original account type if needed. This quick switch to a personal profile should restore access to the full music library.
Restart Your Phone
Before you panic or scream at your phone, try restarting it:
- Hold down the Power button on your iPhone or Android device until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to turn off your phone completely.
- Wait for 30 seconds.
- Press the Power button again to restart your phone.
Allow the device to boot up completely and then open Instagram again. See if this simple phone reset fixes the music sticker loading problem for you.
Force Stop the App
Sometimes, closing the Instagram app fully can clear out minor glitches that are preventing music from loading properly in Stories.
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Instagram
- Tap Force Stop to force close the app
On Android:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Instagram
- Tap Force Stop to force close
Now restart Instagram and try adding a music sticker again.
Check for Instagram Outages
It‘s possible the music sticker failure is not on your end but instead due to widespread technical issues on Instagram‘s servers:
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Visit Instagram‘s status page at http://instagramdown.com to see if the service is down or facing an outage right now.
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Also check Twitter – just search "Instagram down" to see realtime outage reports and complaints from other users if the platform is facing disruptions.
If Instagram itself is down, take a break and try again in a couple of hours once their engineers fix the problem. Your music stickers will load normally again once service is restored fully.
Contact Instagram Support
If you still can‘t get Instagram Music to work after trying all the above solutions, your last option is to contact the Instagram support team directly:
- Open Instagram and tap your profile photo
- Go to Menu > Settings > Help > Contact Us
- Tap "Something‘s Not Working"
- Select “Music sticker unavailable” and explain your problem
- Submit the request and await a response from Instagram‘s troubleshooting team
It may take a few business days for them to respond and resolve account-specific issues. But the good news is, Instagram generally has fast and efficient support. If there is anything irregular with your account permissions blocking music, they can fix it promptly.
Why Isn‘t That Song Available in Your Region?
Now when you view someone else‘s Instagram story having a music sticker, you may see a "This song is unavailable" error. Why does this happen?
It means that particular song or music clip is restricted by Instagram in your country due to cross-border copyright and music licensing issues.
Different songs and recording labels have agreements with Instagram on a per country basis. So a song may be cleared for use as a sticker in the United States but restricted in India or Japan.
Unfortunately, there is no workaround if you get this geo-blocked message for a song in another user‘s story. You‘ll simply have to wait until Instagram sorts out the music licensing for that track in your specific country. Avoid downloading the song from third parties or trying to re-share – it probably violates copyright!
The Bottom Line
I hope this detailed troubleshooting guide helps you fix Instagram Music not loading or showing error messages in Stories. The problem is usually due to regional restrictions, account type issues or technical glitches.
The good news is – you can easily overcome most hurdles with a few simple tips like using a VPN, updating the app or contacting Instagram support if needed.
Let me know if these solutions worked for you! Just stay patient, and you‘ll once again be able to add those fun music stickers that make your Instagram Stories truly pop. Happy jamming!
